This is by all standards an episode whose value is determined by what the viewer is given and what they decide to creatively do to it. First of all, I have to admit that my loop holed addled version of what really happened doesn't seem to be substantiated by real interviews of producers, I stubbornly choose to believe that it is because explaining everything is lame (why inception was so awesome at first). This whole episode seemed light and fluffy and seemed to be a fairy tale ending to a dark narrative. However, that very last scene (I do think it is fair to note that it is the LAST scene) is meant to create a doubt in a viewers mind. It slams an extra dimension of depth to the whole story, in a grand implied reveal that Lana MAY HAVE MADE UP EVERYTHING FOR HER CAREER. I choose to believe this and thus rate this episode 9.5/10. Failure in my own adherence to this belief would warrant about a 2.5/10. This episode is the reason why art looks like trash to some and divine design to others.
I do have to note that my explanation of the series does tend to open up a lot of loop holes, mainly along the lines of like was the baby really a rape baby, how did the confession tape come to manifest. Was the psychologist really a killer or a poor scapegoat for a story. Was the SS nazi mad scientist, the only other person to see "aliens" real past an existing name in an old system? Was Kit a victim of false accusation and abduction by aliens or a deluded psychotic killer who's situation was utilized and manipulated by Lana? Did the cardinal kill himself in guilt over the painted reality authored by Lana or did he kill himself as a cornered rat, scape-goated for misconduct and misauthorization due to the fabricated sequence of events created for a book? Why include the last scene in this series if not? To have an elementary laugh about how the two women will see each other again? To misuse a line about staring into the face of evil and having it stare (SMILE. LANA CREEPILY SMILES) back? What is more evil, the institution being the way it was originally portrayed, or telling the lie about that institution being so bad in the first place it caused mortal casualties?
I do have to note that my explanation of the series does tend to open up a lot of loop holes, mainly along the lines of like was the baby really a rape baby, how did the confession tape come to manifest. Was the psychologist really a killer or a poor scapegoat for a story. Was the SS nazi mad scientist, the only other person to see "aliens" real past an existing name in an old system? Was Kit a victim of false accusation and abduction by aliens or a deluded psychotic killer who's situation was utilized and manipulated by Lana? Did the cardinal kill himself in guilt over the painted reality authored by Lana or did he kill himself as a cornered rat, scape-goated for misconduct and misauthorization due to the fabricated sequence of events created for a book? Why include the last scene in this series if not? To have an elementary laugh about how the two women will see each other again? To misuse a line about staring into the face of evil and having it stare (SMILE. LANA CREEPILY SMILES) back? What is more evil, the institution being the way it was originally portrayed, or telling the lie about that institution being so bad in the first place it caused mortal casualties?